Monday Football Tips: Back a first-half bore draw in Spain

Osasuna v Elche
Monday 29 November 20:00 kick-off
Live on Premier Sports 1

Osasuna haven’t won in their last five matches but it’s been a brutal stretch where they’ve faced the top four in La Liga in their last four matches – now they’ll get a crack at victory when facing relegation battlers Elche.

I’m not sure what Osasuna did to the fixture compilers to warrant being pitched against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad in consecutive games, but they put up a good showing despite losing three of those.

Osasuna drew with leaders Real Madrid 0-0 and although they failed to score against the top four they never conceded more than twice.

They’ll hope to earn just a second home win of the season, as they’ve earned just six of their 19 points on their home patch – but if any team can cure those problems it’s an Elche side with just four away points and five away goals in seven games.

Elche have gone six without a win and have conceded at least twice in five of those, and with Osasuna facing 57 shots in those last four tough meetings then there is a chance of some action here.

But a common theme between these two sides is their struggles in front of goal – whether they can cure that against each other remains to be seen, but it’s an avenue worth pursuing for our props column to start the new week.

Under 2.5 goals is seen as a dead cert here, with nothing better than 1.645/8 available on the exchanges for that bet, similarly backing ‘no’ in the both teams to score market won’t make you rich at 1.758/11.

A goalless first half does offer us some value at 2.68/5 with four of Elche’s last eight being 0-0 at half-time and three of Osasuna’s last four also ending without a goal after 45 minutes.

The quality just isn’t there and with Elche struggling in the drop zone they’re going to be extremely cautious and just looking to pinch something on the break away from home.

Most of the action, if there is any, should come in the second half and you can back the second 45 to have the most goals at 2.26/5, but with the very real prospect of a 0-0 even at full-time, we’re rolling with the recent stats and going with the bore draw at the break.